SERDANG: Farmers, planters and fishermen should take the produce online in order to bypass middlemen, says Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.

The Agriculture and Food Industry Minister added the online market was more extensive and promised greater returns.

Therefore, he said, expertise and skills in that field needed to be increased, in addition to using the services of young people who were more literate in information technology (IT).

"It is true that this fight against rising prices has been carried out continuously since it was launched.

"Now efforts are implemented through online marketing involving a group of young people who are more IT literate.

"In an effort to combat issues of middlemen (causing prices to rise), marketing through the Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority through farmer's markets and produce collection centres is continuously carried out," he said.

Earlier Ronald witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between his ministry and the National Unity Ministry, held at the Malaysia Agriculture, Horticulture and Agrotourism (MAHA) 2022 expo in Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) here on Sunday (Aug 7).

On Saturday (Aug 6), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri urged Kiandee's minsitry to continue its "jihad" against middlemen in an effort to control the rising cost of living at the lauch of MAHA 2022.

Ronald also spoke about the ministry’s effort to gather information to establish a specific act pertaining to seeds in a bid to regulate the material.

This, he said, was part of a long-term plan by the ministry to ensure food security.